The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-01-19
DOWN WITH THE DUST.
GET THE CHESTER, GREENWOOD AND AB.
BEv1LLE RAILROAD NOW OR NEVER.
An Elegant and ForcibIe Appeal to
the Tax Payers In Behalf OF the
Mucfl Needed Road.

An Elegant and ForcibIe Appeal to
the Tax Payers In Behalf OF the
Much Needed Road.
"a little explained, little endured, little
passed over as u foible.
And 10! the jagged atoms fit like smooth
Mosaic"
Editor Press and Banner:
It is we'll for the voters Of Greenwood town.
ship to consider some OF the advantages to he
derived from the new railroad, before decd-
ing 10 vote against the small tax desired to
aid In itS construction. Besides the many
small blessings and comveniences usually in
cident to the enjoyment OF all railroads, such
US accessibility To the outside world and In
creased mail facilities, In addition to the
more direct and therefore quicker and cheap
er travelling unicatiOn with the South
West. the West, the North West, as well as
Norfolk, Philadelphia and New York aud all
intermediate points In both directions, we
have first easy and cheap access TO our conn
ty seat. Any juror, witness, client, tax-pay-
er, or politician of Greenwood township, will
thereby he enabled TO visit Abbevile twice a
day and return the same day. The time from
Greenwood will not be more than twenty
minutes, and about thirty from the vicinity
of COronacn.
end. We will be nearer, by rail to Atlanta
the present grand railroad distributing p0int t
Of the South-than Augusta is now Thereby
grain, -four, meal, meat, and New Orleans
with rs cheap or cheaper freights than they
can be laid down in Augusta. Hence the
heavy freight on these goods from Augusta
TO Green wood now, will then be saved to the
This amounts to great deal In the aggregate.
1t Will save six cents a bushe! on meal alone,
besides opening up new business to entcrpr;s-
ing men In the way OF grist mills, &c. Thus
er, n. only TO the Green wood township farm
er, but Greenwood will become q wh6 lie
distributing point
3rd. 1t will give US practically, a straight,
n new and we'll equipped line to Norfolk, and
therefore much shorter and quicker route 10
that point and other North. astern cities.
THUS sugar, coffee, molaSses, salt, English
and American rpanos, Shoes dry goods, hard
ware, machinery, &C., will leach Greenwood
with cheaper freights, amt be distributed tn
her farmers much cheaper than now. The
freghts on cotton will be cheaper to Nor
folk, West Point and New York, and there
lore the price thereof Will be higher and bet
ter to the farmer.
When the magnitude of the results are con-
trasted with the llttlenSSs OF means used In
securing them, the stupendousCess Of the fol-
this small tax manifests ITSELF An invest
ment of something less than fifteen hundred
dollars year for two years In a yailroad tax
by the merchants and farmers of Greenwood
township In the Augusta & Knoxville read,
saved to the farmers Of Greenwood and vicni
ity over thirty thousand dollars In the price
either one OF the articles, flour, corn, meat or
guano during the year 1886 amounted to more
than the yenrly investment by taxation.
How grand the power Of combined tri1es,
whether In the collected raindrops OF the
food, or the combined mites Of equal and
universal taxation! But as the seconds must
be licked off before hours roll by, so must the
mites of communiStlc taxation Jingle In the
Greenwood and Abhevile Railroad will roll
up to Greenwood with her magnificent train
Of consequences. This Is an engine Of enter
prise Of too great pith and moment to be sig
! nailed down to o halt by every ignis JdtuWs
jack-o' lantern objection that may be waved
before It's headlight. It Is an engine freight
ed with too many hopes and blessings for the
people Of Greenwood township to tie butted
that may be planted In its face.
"It is good thing, but 1t will make a city
Of Greenwood and not benefit the farmers. v
| How can Greenwood be built up unless the
farmers are first drawn there by good prices 2
Echo answers How?
at is good thing, but the farmers are toe
poor to pay the taxes" Are they too poor to
invest q ten cent piece to realize q dollar; or
to put 10 shoe string and draw out tan
yard? Any man that Is worth hundred
dollars Is not too poor to pay the small sum
Of fifteen cents year for three years for such
a railroad as we propose having.
at Is n good thing, and am not opposed to
to the amount but I'm opposed TO railroad taS
on principle" Vote 1t, then, from the stand
point of policy-if not from that, then from,
that of pure-bearted patriotism. This motive
of principle, policy or patriotism governed
our fathers In endorsing under State guaran.
| tee the bonds Of the Greenvlle and Coluin
bia road, as we'll as those of the Blue Ridge
public lands to the Pacific and other roads
| What Is this If not indirect taxation?
II like II, hut cannot vote tax on my
neighbor." This would stop all OF your vot
| ing because every time you vote for Senator
! N tD nf11carS
q tax on your neighbor IL they do nothing
but draw per diem or salary.
'"Good thing, but let those who wish 1t build
| It," This doctrine would force every mar
who needed q bridge to build one. Many pro
pie pay taxes on bridges they never saw
"But bridges are public property" So are
railroads to great extent pro rata than tht
proportion of taXatlon TO the Whole cost o.
construction. Non-taxpayers cannot be shut
out from the blessings OF n railroad. Thei
rights are equal to the taxpayers. He wht
buys his ticket must ride. How about pri
vate carringe? Who appoints Railroad Com
II like it, hut the bonds run too long. hnt
rather pay down good tax in two or three
years" What Is the difference II 1t does no
aggregate as much whether paid at once. o.
each successive year. Recollect the interes
is fixed, and every year the township
grows in wealth and the taxation to that eX
| lent Is lessened. Besides. In three years tn,
L
and county. will be devoted to the paymen
of interest on the bonds. But the bill ha
not passed the House," II has passed tht
Senate % to 8, and two readings IN The House
and will be passed before the road Is built
And what If 1t did not pass? Our bonds viii
| be in seven per cent. stock and can be sold a
pleasure by the township and applied To tn,
payment Of the bonds. They are bound to b,
at par, because the Augusta & Knoxville fou
per cents are worth SiXty.eight cents on thu
dollar now, and of course, seven per cents OF
! Il better road ought to bring more than pa
after the road is built
But the bonds amount to three per cent
No, they do not amount 10 two and one-hal
per cent. on the taxable property of the town
ship, including the present railroad property
Granting the road will not be required to pay
| the Interest by law (Which will not he th'
case) and also granting the stock will bt
| worthless, which Is pure hypothesis, yet the
tax at paymen would not be more than ont
per cent. OF the taxable property Of the town
ship ut maturity, If that much. The taxes the
third year will be less than fifteen cents or
| the one hundred dollars worth, and the
fourth year, when the road Is built, It. wouIf
he less than ten cents OH the one hundred
dollars worth OF property. The rond itsel
will add one hundred and sixty Thousand
dollars to the property of the township /
Green wood township, with the addition o.
1he town Of Coronaca and one railroad, rose
fifty thousand dollars TO seven hundred ant
fifty thousand In four years. how, much vii
the taxable property Of said township be Ell
hanced in twenty years by the addition o
Stony Point or Bethlehem; or both. and the
| rbaetcr & A bboyillo road nd fhf